This study investigates the effectiveness of a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) chatbot to enhance learning and engagement in a self-paced, asynchronous online R programming course. To contextualize the development and potential of RAG chatbots, we conducted a literature review on existing approaches and their use in educational settings.…

Background: In the digital age, fostering young children's computational thinking (CT) and executive functions (EFs) through programming has emerged as a significant research issue. While unplugged programming activities are commonly adopted in preschools, robot programming activities have recently gained attention for the potential to enhance…

In the face of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the hybrid teaching model has garnered significant attention for its combination of the depth of traditional education with the convenience of distance learning. Focusing on the domain of computer programming language instruction, this study innovatively designs a hybrid teaching…

Background: The pedagogy of computational thinking has gained extensive traction across numerous nations globally, with a particular emphasis on nurturing computational thinking in the formative years of early childhood. Nevertheless, the efficacy of diverse instructional approaches in the domain of programming education, with regards to fostering…

Conversational user interfaces (CUI), including voice interfaces, which allow users to converse with computers via voice, are gaining wide popularity. VoiceBots allow users to receive a response in real-time, regardless of the communication device. VoiceBots have been explored in fields such as customer service to automate repetitive queries and…

Computational thinking (CT), as a new future-oriented literacy, has gained attention at the basic education level. Graphical programming is the common way to develop CT in primary students, but this drag-and-drop programming may weaken students' understanding of programming's abstract concepts and code logic. Text-based programming approaches can…

Geometric concepts are fundamental to early geometry education, and developmentally appropriate practices are crucial for teaching them to young children. Robotic coding is an effective tool in many areas of early mathematics and has significant potential in teaching geometric concepts. This study aimed to test the impact of a research-based…

This study provides an overview of efforts to improve experiential learning outcomes by integrating the curriculum of an upper-level Project Management (PM) course with an Introductory Programming (IP) course using a game-making project. Students in the PM course applied PM methods and techniques while supervising teams of students in the IP…

In recent years, learning programming has been a challenge for both learners and educators. How to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes has been a significant concern for researchers. This study examines the effects of AI-based pedagogical agents on students' learning experiences in programming courses, focusing on web game development…

The integration of digital technology into various sectors has transformed education globally, yet its adoption in Nigeria remains constrained by a lack of adequately trained personnel. This study addresses this gap by developing a Project-Based Arduino Robot Application (PARA) for teaching Robotics Programming to preservice teachers. A Research…

Pair programming is an effective instructional format in programming education for adolescents. Within pair programming, three potential gender combinations may arise: Boy-Boy (BB), Girl-Girl (GG), and Boy-Girl (BG). This study explores the impact of different gender pairings on the programming self-efficacy and collaborative attitudes of…

This study describes an experiment in which engineering students create serious games (SG) that tackle problems relevant to their jobs. This experiment was conducted as part of the "Business Games" module we taught students enrolled in the Master's program "Innovation Management" at the National School of Engineers of Tunis. By…

This study explores the potential of the large language model GPT-4 as an automated tool for qualitative data analysis by educational researchers, exploring which techniques are most successful for different types of constructs. Specifically, we assess three different prompt engineering strategies -- Zero-shot, Few-shot, and Fewshot with…

RoblockLLy is an educational robotics simulator designed for primary and secondary school students, whose goal is to increase their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In the particular case of computer science, it allows developing computational thinking skills. It has been designed with ease of use in mind. This free…

The purpose of this research project was to design, deliver, and informally assess the content and methodology of an introductory online course for the educators of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students (N=20) that focused on the block-based coding language, Scratch. Prior work by The Playful Learning Lab examined various STEM resources and their…